Letter of the Day (May 29): Anna Stoehr

At her home in Pottsdam, Anna Stoehr plays Scrabble with her son Harlan, 83 who is changing the hoses on her washer. She is perhaps the oldest person who lives alone. She does not have a special diet but likes to bakes her own bread. She also likes to eat liverwurst, butter, and bacon.

Normally, the star of the Star Tribune's Thursday edition is Taste. However, last week the story presented by reporter Warren Wolfe and photographer Richard Tsong-Taatarii in the Variety section ("She's one in 7 million," May 24) was the real spangle.

As the oldest living person in Minnesota at 111 1/2 years of age, Anna Stoehr's remarkable ability to do the ordinary things that many people much younger complain about gives us reasons to reflect on a simple message: Stay busy and enjoy life!

Anna stated that "she's a normal person living a normal life." Quite the contrary; as the elderly often teach us with barely a blip of recognition, life is about living passionately in the moment. Everyone could use an Anna Stoehr in their life.

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The Opinion section is produced by the Editorial Department to foster discussion about key issues. The Editorial Board represents the institutional voice of the Star Tribune and operates independently of the newsroom.